The sun was just beginning to rise over the forest's edge. She pulled the toasty quilt off of her head and grasped for the ribbon beneath her pillow. The prized ribbon. Her precious prized ribbon.
There is was. Again, she had fallen asleep with the ribbon, and had managed to hide it from her Father another day.
"Lilly, will you ever show your prized ribbon to Father?" asked Lilly's younger sister who was just rising from the late Winter's rest.
"Sarah, he must never find out! He can never know I rode in the race! You hear me?" she reminded her.
Lilly tried her Sunday best in that race, but the horse had fallen, and she didn't win or even come close. The other Equestrians expected her to win that day, it was just her nature. They didn't stand a chance. But the horse had slipped, and looking down at the ribbon, she wished so badly it was the first place instead of fourth. Father would be proud of first place she thought to herself, but not fourth.
She knew at that moment, what she should do. She would change that ribbon. She deserved first palce and was about to change history...even if only for herself.
Lilly gathered a few supplies from Mother's study desk. Mother was still in Oklahoma visiting Aunt Sassy, and surely would not miss these few small treasures. Would she?
"This ribbon is going to be perfect when I'm finished with it," she told herself. She made a list of what to use:
-
Silk ribbon (won, purchased or create from ribbon supply)
-
Coordinating ribbons and trims
-
Rhinestones, beads
-
Sanding block or sand paper
-
Needle and thread
-
Embroidery floss or string
-
Wire in case there are difficult things to attach to ribbon
-
Hot Glue Gun or Tacky Glue
-
Staining Agent (Walnut Ink Spray, or strong coffee or tea in a spritz bottle)
-
Phrases from old book or small alphabet stamp, etc.
Lilly didn't have a lot of time and could hear Father out near the barns that morning. She didn't want him to know what she'd done, and certainly not what she was about to do.
Glancing at her ribbon, she noticed now quickly it's silk had weakened. Too many nights of stashing it beneath her pillow or behind her jewelry box. It was as if someone had sanded that ribbon to make it look worn.
She still loved the ribbon more than anything and didn't mind it's frayed edges or the hole beginning to form from where she'd rubbed that silk in her sleep each night.
Even the rosette looked sanded. Hmmm.
Lilly stitched champagne pink ribbon over the awful gold letters. A nice contrast in colors she thought. She loved pink, and now that fourth place business was gone for good.
Sarah had followed her into mother's room and was playing with a perfume bottle.
"Achoooo!" Sarah sneezed after spraying the perfume all over the table.
"Sarah!" spat Lily, "look at what you did to my ribbon! It is covered with brown splotches now."
Frowns quickly took shape on their faces. It wasn't perfume though, it was walnut stain. After it sat there a few minutes though, they decided they liked it just fine that way (whew).
Lilly knew she should cover up the horse in the center, and hot glued a circle of chenile fabric over it.
Father could come in any minute expecting help with the horses, so she needed to add the good stuff. She wanted to add a beautiful earring to the center of the ribbon. And a few rhinestones that would make the ribbon shine in the light. So she did.
She added silver bouilion to edge of the fabric thinking that would fancy it up nicely. And it did.
Lilly tied some mercury glass beads, lace from an old hanky, a crystal button and chain from a broken rosary to embroidery floss. She knotted the floss at the bottom. She wished she had a crown to add to this ribbon. "I deserved the crown she thought!"
Plus, through this whole E-Zine she hadn't yet used a crown. Quel horror!
Alas! She found a crown pin in the jewelry box! She strung wire though the back to make it hangible. Perfect.
A small book on Mother's desk detailed The City of Forest Hill's Spring Social. She clipped a phrase from the third page and added it to the ribbon. She didn't know why. She just liked it. She stuck a pearly edged sewing pin through the top of the rosette. Again, she didn't know why, she just liked it.
Father slammed the front door loudly. "Lilly! Sarah! I need you outside. What have you been doing all morning?" he bantered while removing his boots and looking for hot coffee. "Where's the coffee?"
Sarah was so enamoured by the new ribbon she barely heard her big sister whisper to get in the kitchen.
"I'll be there in a minute, and I promise I will show you the ribbon as soon as I'm done. Now go!"
She found lots of ribbons in the sewing basket, cut them to fit and hot glued them like long shimmering strands beneath the rosette.
The bits and baubles on floss and wire were glued in place, too. Delightful, she thought to herself.
When the ribbon was finished, Lilly sat back in her chair and smiled. It's just what I'd hoped for. Tonight she would show Father. "He will be proud of me, and certainly let me subscribe to to a Paper Bella Studio E-Workshop again!" she said proudly.
______________________________________________________
In efforts to spice things up a bit, I wrote that little ditty above for this project. I hope you didn't think it was too lame! Certainly made things more interesting...well I hope so anyway?!
